The present invention relates generally to automated distribution systems for storing and retrieving goods, and more particularly, to an insert and lift subassembly for inserting containers onto a rotatable storage carousel.
Many modern production and warehousing facilities require the storage and retrieval of thousands of inventoried items. Often goods must be stored in bins or containers due to their size or delicate construction. Therefore, storage requires loading the containers and delivering them to a known location where they can later be retrieved as necessary. When an order is received for an item, the desired item must be retrieved from its location and prepared for shipping or otherwise put to use. An efficient storage operation requires the ability to both store and retrieve a wide variety of goods and to rapidly and effectively dispose of the retrieved goods.
Such a warehousing and distribution system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,351 issued Aug. 24, 1993, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This system is designed to deliver goods at very high rates. It may include one or more storage carrousels for receiving and storing containers adapted to carry material goods. A carousel includes a multiplicity of connecting rack arrays arranged in side-by-side fashion. Each of the rack arrays includes a plurality of vertically spaced container racks for supporting selected containers, with the container racks from various rack arrays being arranged in a plurality of tiers. Structure is also provided for forming a continuous track and rotating the rack arrays about the continuous track.
A lift including a vertically traveling endless loop having an up travel reach and a down travel reach is provided for carrying the containers to the various carousel tiers. A plurality of platforms for supporting individual containers are uniformly spaced about the lift's endless loop. Each carousel tier is provided with inserter and extractor assemblies suitable for loading and unloading, respectively, containers from the various racks while the carousel remains in continuous motion.
The storage system may include an automated control system including a storage facility controller for managing the activities of the system as a whole. The storage facility controller may maintain a storage record that remembers the identity and storage position of each of the containers stored within its control. A plurality of carousel controllers can be provided to manage the activities of a particular storage carousel. The carousel controllers may communicate with the storage facility controller over a first local area network. Each carousel controller in turn controls specific mechanical and electrical components of the carousel. The carousel controller may communicate with its associated components over a second local area network.
As will be described in greater detail below, the inserter assembly of the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,351, and used heretofore, contains an inclined parallel guide strip used to lift the lower outer edge of the containers as they are inserted onto the carousel. This guide strip lifts not only the containers which are being inserted, but also the already inserted containers when they pass by the inserter assembly and over the guide strip. The guide strip is inclined so that the containers are lifted as they pass over it. During this time, the leading portion of the containers is pushed higher than the trailing portion, resulting in mechanical stresses imposed on the containers which may eventually lead to container failure.
The lower outer edge of the container must be lifted in order for notches on the leading and trailing sides of the rim of the container to engage hooks provided on the storage rack for cantilever support of the container. The container may engage the trailing hook with motion in a lateral and slightly upward direction, and the hook must slide over the corner of the container and into the notch provided. To this end, it is advantageous for the bottom surface of the trailing hook to be smooth and continuous. Such a hook is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,207, issued Nov. 6, 1990. The leading hook is engaged initially by the container with a forward motion, and some arrangement should be provided to prevent the leading side of the container from hitting the leading hook. In the carousels known heretofore, this was an inclined bar, attached to the leading hook, which was intended to slide over the top of the leading side of the rim of the container. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,091, issued Jan. 8, 1991. It was possible, however, for this bar to be caught in a notch provided on the leading side of the rim of the container or between the upper inside edge of the container and the carousel, and cause the insertion operation to fail. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage by replacing the inclined bar with an inclined wing sufficiently wide to rest on the upper leading inside corner of the container until it hangs over the inside of the container. The inclined wing may be sufficiently wide not to fit into the notch of the container. Since the last step of latching the container with the leading hook is a motion in a lateral and slightly upward direction, it is advantageous for the bottom surface of the hook to be smooth and continuous, as discussed for the trailing hook.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an inserter assembly which lifts the lower outer edge of the containers only when they are inserted onto a rotating storage carousel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inserter assembly which maintains the leading portion of a container level with its trailing portion as the container is inserted onto a rotating storage carousel.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a leading hook for a carousel storage rack that facilitates proper latching.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.